The pitching duel Sunday between the Royals’ Danny Duffy and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw stirred as much attention in these parts. And in Los Angeles, Kershaw’s appearance prompted him to be replaced by teammate Alex Wood as part of the pitching staff at the National League’s disposal Tuesday in Miami.

So there is that little tidbit about the 88th Midsummer Classic.

Oh, and there are other replacements. And players who got voted in — early and late. And players off every major league roster. And a bench coach from the Indians who will actually manage the American League.

Given all that, a casual baseball fan once attracted by the All-Star Game tunes out sometimes.

Last year, ratings plunged to record lows when the game drew fewer than 10 million viewers for the first time in the half-century Nielsen has tracked All-Star numbers.

Does the game need tweaked?

Not yet. AL vs. NL makes the most sense. Any other composition is too gimmicky.

Realize that what baseball maintains when its All-Stars gather is the true spirit and authenticity of the sport.

Defense is played. If a baseball player loafs, lags or lounges while wearing a mitt, it’s noticeable. Lack of effort is not tolerated.

Double plays are turned. Homers are robbed off fence tops. Grounders are stopped with dives. Sinking liners are snagged off shoestrings.

It’s all part of the game and traits baseball players refuse to sacrifice for the sake of an offensive charade.

Not so with the NFL and its semblance of two-hand touch for the Pro Bowl. Not so with the NBA and the premium placed on cherry-picking downcourt during its All-Star game.

In baseball, players compete. On the mound, at the plate and in the field.

Unfortunately, the contestants become harder to recognize.

Anymore, fans focus greatly on their own teams because of regional television packages. Around here, we identify with the Royals and recognize the hitch in each swing, the movement in each pitch and the range of each defender.

Yet we are not as keen on the strengths of each first-time All-Star. Nor should we be with a whopping 28 playing in this year’s game.

And hey, if we are aware of those first-timers, and what they bring, then we’re watching so much baseball we might not even care about an All-Star exhibition. That’s another issue — baseball, much like all sports, is saturated with coverage.

Still, you wonder what’s up when seemingly can’t-miss stars such as Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera and Andrew McCutchen are not on rosters.

Also, you marvel at the all-time All-Star records set by regulars such as Hank Aaron (25 appearances), Ted Williams (12 RBIs) and Stan Musial (six home runs). Proof that there was a time when the All-Star Game solidified the legends of baseball’s all-time greats.

Initiated in 1933 by Chicago sports writer Arch Ward, the event remains very much for the fans.

Newer creations have met varying degrees of popularity.

There is the Home Run Derby on Monday, which will include Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas, and for his sake, hopefully not put the slugging third baseman into a second-half funk.

No longer will an All-Star victory provide the winning league homefield advantage in the World Series. That 15-year experiment was scrubbed. The new reward is a $20,000 bonus for winning players, while losers get nothing.

Of course too, there is the balloting. Nowhere has it been as popular in recent years than in the Kansas City market.

Royals dominated the AL starting lineup in 2015. In 2016, Eric Hosmer was the MVP. And this year, Moustakas won the Last Vote with a #VoteMoose campaign that proved cleverly effective on social platforms. He joins two KC teammates, five-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez and pitcher Jason Vargas.

Maybe we put so much emphasis into voting that the main event is anticlimactic.

But I know, unlike other all-star galas, I’ll watch the entire game. If I need coffee, so be it.

Contact Kevin Haskin at kevin.haskin@cjonline.com or @KevinHaskin on Twitter.

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